Saturday, June 02, 2007

by the flickering light of my teevee

I am not ashamed to say that I multitask. I've always done mindless tasks like paint my toenails or arrange my sock drawer while I'm on the phone and I'm sure I would have tried to do my homework while watching Duck Tales after school if my mother would have allowed it. But these days I knit while I watch primetime soap operas.

Unfortunately, I might have to rethink that system. I spent the last couple weeks making a baby-bag jumper (a one-piece hooded suit thing with no feet) for my mom's friend's daughter's baby shower this weekend, and it took considerably more yarn than I estimated along the way.




After the initial two skeins I had to go back for a third and then a fourth. I thought I was in the clear because I got the same brand and color, but I didn't think twice about the little serial number on each one referencing "dye lot." Meaning different batches are dyed at different times, so if you don't get ones within the same batch, the colors don't always match. I'm already disappointed with the colorscheme on this thing--the yarn seemed a whole lot prettier wrapped up in a ball than it does to me in the finished product. But now I have a much bigger problem: Because I didn't check the dye lots (and waited so long between buying different skeins), the left side is slightly darker than the majority of the right side.

I didn't notice until I sewed in the zipper at the very end. What to do? Go to the baby store and get something else to save face? Try to pass it off as a "now-you-know-it's-handmade" quirk? Keep it on my teddy bear (though mintgreen/pink/purple really doesn't suit his coloring and he most certainly won't grow into it). Give it to them anyway because it'll probably get washed until it's all the same shade of faded, which is the purpose after all? My mother says you can't really tell unless you know what you're looking for, but I have a feeling that's because she knows how long it took to complete.

I'd rather have the unbiased opinion of the Internet. Thoughts?

***UPDATE***

My mom told me to shut up and took it to the baby shower. I missed the unwrapping, but was told that everyone passed it around and tried the zipper, flipped around the tassels (added later) and complimented it without even noticing the color difference. Phew!

7 comments:

Jon said...

you should just cover up the part that's lighter, and then put it in the sun for a few days. That should even it right out and it's not even close to a bad idea or a terrible solution to your problem. I'm here to help.

Alla said...

i was at a baby party- this sat- the couple is our age and this is their THIRD kid.

Unknown said...

I can't see the difference in color. It's adorable!!! I think you should go ahead and give it as a gift. Handmade always means more than store bought anyway!

jazz said...

it's hadmande and you can barely tell the color diff.

however, jon's idea is kind of brilliant.

Lia said...

It's totally gorgeous, and if anyone ever notices the color difference, you can blame it on their lighting. Or tell the truth, which most people would understand. Anyhow, I can't really see the difference, and I would love to have such a thoughtful gift for my baby, when I have one.

Becky said...

didn't notice a color difference, and as a fellow homemade-gifter, would judge anyone who was so ungrateful as to be particular about something as minor as that in a gift that you obviously toiled away on, just for them.

also jealous of your mad knitting skillz.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

That's a lucky baby to have someone take the time to make a gift with so much love.

The only colour difference I see is at the bottom and it looks like it's a part of the design, like it's shaded from dark to lighter...and that could just be from the lighting of the photo.

It is a sweet, sweet gift, beautiful.